Another Purple Hairstreak record for the garden this afternoon. Sitting in an Elm pretending to be a relative! Sawston @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social
Andrew Knights
@andrewknights.bsky.social
Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun (so I can go do a butterfly transect).
May not have survived the devastating fire 🔥 Along with many wildlife species scarce Silver-studded Blues & Graylings will be gone. Many years before they recover. Graylings will have to recolonise from areas already destroyed by Sizewell C @savebutterflies.bsky.social @sayno2sizewellc.bsky.social
Mike Smith@mikecsmiffy.bsky.social · 7d agoMale Gatekeeper clinging to a grass seed head on a windy day at Dunwich Heath Suffolk. #Butterfly #Butterflies #wildlife #ukwildlife #wildlifephotography #nature #naturephotography @bc-suffolk.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social
A very battered male Purple Hairstreak looking for honeydew on the garden Brambles this morning. Sawston, Cambs. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social
Chilling (not physically) this afternoon, seeing what turns up in the garden. Female Common Blues have been searching out the Black Medick to lay eggs. Sawston @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social
The biggest Wasp Spider I have seen. Cambridge Aqua Park, north of Waterbeach.
Very lucky to have a Song Thrush nest in the garden. The nest is in the middle of a Hawthorn and Bramble tangle. The garden seems to be providing enough food; there are plenty of snails and caterpillars. However, flying ants are on the menu this afternoon. Sawston, Cambs.
Swallowtail caterpillar on Milk Parsley at Strumpshaw Fen from earlier today. One of four seen. @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social
Small Blue record from the back garden today. I do have Kidney Vetch growing so one can hope it was a female and it left some eggs. Sawston, Cambs. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social
No need for a Nyjer seed feeder, just plant a small patch of Knapweed for the Goldfinches. The butterflies and bees will appreciate it too. Sawston, Cambs.
Dewick's Plusia from this morning. Originally found in the kitchen by my wife, who released it outside not knowing what it was.
A female Purple Hairstreak searching for ideal spots to lay eggs, providing some entertainment when I am supposed to be socialising. Somewhere near Hatfield 🤷♂️
How can keeping honey bees harm native bees? Dave Goulson, professor of biology at the University of Sussex and author of "Silent Earth: Averting The Insect Apocalypse," explains in this short video. 1/2
No More Beewashing! Why beekeeping doesn't help conserve bees.
YouTube video by Dave Goulson
youtube.com
White-letter Hairstreak laying eggs on Wingham Elm in the garden for a second day. Wych Elm, of a similar height, next to it has been totally ignored, her preferring the hybrid. It's good because I planted two more Winghams last year. Sawston. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social @brianecambs.bsky.social
Male Banded Demoiselle on territory at the garden pond this afternoon.
Small Blues have just started their second brood @magogdown.bsky.social. @epollard.bsky.social finding a couple yesterday and 11 this morning. White-letter Hairstreak also putting in an appearance on the Marjoram during today's transect. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social @ukbms.bsky.social
2nd brood Small Blue out at Magog Down, Cambs @magogdown.bsky.social @andrewknights.bsky.social @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social
Purple Emperor and Purple Hairstreak at Woodwalton Fen from this morning's family walk. @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social
High Brown Fritillaries at the Heddon Valley, Devon, today. It needed a 7am start before the heat got too much. @nationaltrust.org.uk @bcdevon.bsky.social
A typical view of a White-letter Hairstreak on the way to work this morning. Between Babraham and Sawston @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social
If you watch White-letter Hairstreaks for long enough, if you're lucky, sometimes they will descend from the Elm tops. This one came to feed on the Hedge Bedstraw right next to where I was standing @magogdown.bsky.social this morning. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social
Marbled White and White-letter Hairstreak @magogdown.bsky.social this lunchtime. At least six White-letter Hairstreaks in the Elms today. Small Skippers also on the wing. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social
Good news! Ministers have finally given green light to new #NaturalHistory GCSE. We’ve campaigned so long for this! Big hats off to tireless advocate Mary Colwell 🙌 Now our young people will have a chance to get to know & love the natural world, to feel awe & wonder, & gain skills to protect it 🌷🌳🦡
Natural history GCSE to teach teenagers to plant wildflower-friendly gardens
Long-awaited course to examine human effects on natural world and explore everyday ways to aid biodiversity
theguardian.com
Butterflies cannot wait any longer. We're calling on ministers to do what they promised - set a deadline for an absolute ban on neonicotinoid pesticides. No 'emergency' authorisations. No exemptions. Add your name to our open letter 👉 campaigns.butterfly-conservation.org/ban-pesticides
Ban butterfly-killing pesticides for good
campaigns.butterfly-conservation.org
Pyramidal Orchid from the front lawn. Sawston, Cambridgeshire.
Unsurprisingly no mention of any green space in this proposed development on the Cambridge airport land. Another (the 4th) railway station, and a movie studio (what?) but no green space! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Plans for 10k homes and rail station on Cambridge Airport site
Cambridge East scheme will be "one of the UK's largest urban extension projects", Homes England says.
bbc.co.uk
Grass Snake in the garden pond this afternoon. Sawston, Cambridgeshire.
